Load-carrying and positioning head

ABSTRACT

A load-carrying and positioning head for use in connection with jacks for handling vehicle transmissions or similar load lifting and handling devices, the head having a platform upon which the load rests, there being a plurality of arms carried by the platform and shiftable with respect thereto and into clamping engagement with the load when it is on the platform, there being chains cooperable with the platform for retaining the load thereon when the platform is tilted. The platform is carried by a mount which is coupled to the jack or the like, and is shiftable into plurality positions, there being a vertical axis coupling the mount and the platform whereby the platform may be rotated about a vertical axis with respect to the mount; there being a leveling link coupled with the mount, the mount having a transverse axis whereby the platform may be rotated about a horizontal axis; and there being a plate having a spherical surface carried by the platform and mating with a dished member, there being means for shifting the plate whereby the platform may be tilted from side to side.

United States Patent 72] Inventors Gilbert W. Gaarder;

Elinont E. Hollingsworth, both of Saint 'Joseph, Mo. [21] Appl. No.828,071 [22] Filed May 1,1969 [45] Patented Dec. 21, 1971 [73] AssigneeGray Manufacturing Company, Inc. Saint Joseph, Mo.

[54] LOAD-CARRYING AND POSITIONING HEAD 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 254/134 [51] Int. Cl 866i 3/00 [50] Field of Search 254/8,9, 133,134;214/1 D [5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS2,747,837 5/1956 Turner 254/134 2,838,278 6/1938 .lohnsen 254/134 IIIIHHIH "WI/m Primary Examiner-Andrew R. .luhasz AssistantExaminer-David R. Melton Attorney-Schmidt, Johnson, Hovey & WilliamsABSTRACT: A load-carrying and positioning head for use in connectionwith jacks for handling vehicle transmissions or similar load liftingand handling devices, the head having a platform upon which the loadrests, there being a plurality of arms carried by the platform andshiftable with respect thereto and into clamping engagement with theload when it is on the platform, there being chains cooperable with theplatform for retaining the load thereon when the platform is tilted. Theplatform is carried by a mount which is coupled to the jack or the like,and is shiftable into plurality positions, there being a vertical axiscoupling the mount and the platform whereby the platform may be rotatedabout a vertical axis with respect to the mount; there being a levelinglink coupled with the mount, the mount having a transverse axis wherebythe platform may be rotated about a horizontal axis; and there being aplate having a spherical surface carried by the platform and mating withr a dished member, there being means for shifting the plate whereby theplatform may be tilted from side to side.

LOAD-CARRYING AND POSITIONING HEAD It is the most important object ofthis invention to provide a load-carrying and positioning head which isparticularly intended for use in connection with a jack for handlingautomobile transmissions or similar supporting and lifting deviceswherein it is desired to shift the load carried by the head in order toposition the same with respect to means to which it is to be attached,inserted or the like.

Accordingly, it is the primary object of this invention to provide aload-carrying and positioning head which includes a platform upon whichthe load rests, the platform having a plurality of arms shiftablycarried thereby, each arm having a first stretch in the same plane asthe platform and a second stretch in a laterally extending plane, eachof the arms being independently shiftable with respect to the platformand lockable in a fixed position whereby said arms may be utilized toclamp the load with respect to the head when it is resting on theplatform;

Yet another important object is to provide a load-carrying and receivinghead which is shiftable in several various planes, all to the end thatthe load thereupon may be positioned as, for example, when it is desiredto remove or replace'a transmission in a vehicle. There are meansprovided for permitting such shifting movement of the head in the formof a mount which couples the head with its supporting apparatus such asa transmission jack for example, the mount carrying a dished memberwhich complementally receives a spherical plate which is carried beneaththe platform, there being means for shifting the plate with respect tothe member whereby to tilt the platform of the head from side to sidewith respect to the mount.

Yet another significant object is the provision of a mount for carryingthe head, which mount is coupled with a leveling assembly whereby, uponactuation of said assembly, the mount is rotated about a transverse,horizontal axis to move the platform of the head in a fore-and-aftdirection with respect to its supportingapparatus.

Another important aim is to provide means for mounting the platform onthe mount whereby the platform may be rotated about the vertical axiswith respect to the mount.

Other objects include details of construction which will become apparentfrom the following specification and accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the load-carrying and positioning head;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 44 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 1.

The load-carrying and positioning head includes a platfonn 12 which isintended to at least partially support the load and which is normallydisposed in a substantially horizontal plane. The platform 12 is carriedby a mount 14, which mount 14 is suitably coupled with supportingapparatus such as a jack or the like whereby the entire combination unitmay be utilized to handle a vehicle transmission or a similar heavy,bulky piece which is to be moved about and precisely positioned.

The platform 12 has an upper surface 16 and a generally circumscribingskirt 18, the skirt 18 being broken at four intervals in the embodimentchosen for illustration whereby to present a plurality of outwardlyextending channels 20, each having a pair of upstanding sidewalls 22 inopposed parallel relationship, and a screw clamp assembly 24 carried byone of said sidewalls 22. The screw clamp assembly includes a lockingmember 26 which is rotatable with respect to the assembly whereby tomove the same in and out with respect to the channel 20.

Each of the channels carries a generally L-shaped arm 28, said arms eachincluding a first stretch 30 which is in essentially the same plane asthe platform 12, and a second stretch 32 integral with the first stretchand in a plane extending laterally with respect to that of the firststretch and that of the platform.

The first stretches 30 of each of the arms 28 are slidably receivedwithin corresponding channels 20 whereby said arms 28 may be shiftedtoward and away from the platform in a linear path. Once the arms havebeen shifted to the desired position whereby to clamp the load withrespect to the platform 12, the locking members 26 are rotated towardthe first stretches 30 whereby to clamp the same in position by holdingthe stretch 30 between the tip 34 of the locking member and the opposedsidewall 22 of channel 20. In order to prevent the arm 28 from beingremoved from their corresponding channels 20, each of the arms has a lug36 formed on the first stretch thereof, the stop lugs moving intoengagement with the tip 34 of the locking members 26 when the arms 28are moved outwardly with respect to the platform 12, thereby precludingremoval of the arms from the channels unless locking, members 26 areloosened several turns whereby to permit lug 36 to pass tip 34.

If desired, a chain such as 38, may be secured to selected secondstretches 32 and eyebolts such as 40 secured to opposed second stretches32 whereby the chains 38 may be wrapped over the load when it ispositioned on platform 12 to thereby secure the same against shiftingmovement when the platform is tilted in a manner hereinafter described.

In order to permit shifting movement of the platform 12 in virtually anyplane, the same is coupled with mount 14 through a plate 42 having aspherical surface 44, the plate 42 having its peripheral edges 46suitably secured to the undersurface of the platform 12.

A dished member 48 is carried by the plates 50 which are a part of themount 14, and member 48 complementally receives the spherical surface 44of plate 42, the dished member 48 being of an arcuate configurationcomplementary to that of spherical surface 44.

A slot 52 is formed centrally of the dished member 48 and underlies anaperture 54 which is substantially central of plate 42 whereby to permitpassage of a vertically positioned bolt 56 through said aperture 54 andslot 52 whereby the nut 58 carried by the bolt may be secured to abracket 60 as by welding or the like, all as is clearly shown in FIG. 3of the drawing.

The U-shaped bracket 60 includes a bight 61 and a pair of spaced-apartarms 62, each arm 62 having an aperture 64 in the lowermost end thereof,there being a threaded shaft 66 extending through said aligned apertures64 and being journaled in the oppositely disposed plates 50. Knobs suchas 68 are secured to each end of the threaded shaft 66 whereby the samemay be rotated to thereby rotate a spacer 70 which is disposed betweenthe arms 62 and essentially between apertures 64 therein, the spacer 70being secured to shaft 66 as by a pin 72 whereby said spacer 70 rotateswith said shaft 66. The lower end of bolt 56 is secured with respect tobight 61 by a locking pin 73 and the upper end of bolt 56 carries aclamp 74, the bolt 56 and clamp 74 being utilized to clamp the plate 42and member 48 together, thereby preventing free relative rotation orside-to-side tilt.

The lower ends of opposed plates 50 and, therefore, mount 14, areconnected with a leveling link assembly (not shown) as by a pin 76, theleveling link assembly exerting a push or pull force upon mount 14through pin 76, all to the end that the mount 14 may be rotated about atransversely positioned lift arm connecting pin 78 to thereby rotate thehead 10 in a foreand-aft direction about a transverse, horizontal axisdefined by pin 78.

When it is desired to tilt head 10, and more particularly platform 12 ina side-to-side direction with respect to mount 14, one of the knobs 68is actuated whereby to rotate shaft 66, thereby causing the shaft tomove horizontally with respect to the plates 50, this motion also movingspacer 70 in a horizontal plane thereby transmitting the horizontalmotion of the shaft 66 and spacer 70 through bracket 60 to bolt 56 andthence to plate 42, all to the end that plate 42 is shifted with respectto dished member 48, said shifting movement being in a side-to-sidedirection with respect to the mount 14, the particular direction ofside-to-side movement depending upon the direction of rotation of thethreaded shaft 66.

Thus there is presented a load-carrying and receiving head which isshiftable in a plurality of planes, all to the end that the load carriedby the platform may be precisely positioned as is necessary, forinstance, when a transmission is to be removed from or replaced in avehicle. Through utilization of the leveling link connection 76, theentire head may be rotated in a fore-and-aft tilting direction about pin78; the platform may be shifted in a side-to-side rolling directionthrough utilization of shaft 66, or additionally, the platform may berotated in a complete 360 circle about the vertical axis of bolt 56.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A load-carrying and positioning head comprising:

a platform for receiving said load;

a plurality of arms shiftably carried by said platfonn, said arms eachhaving a first stretch in the same plane as said platform and a secondstretch in a laterally extending plane;

means for locking said arms in a selected position with respect to saidplatform, said means including a locking device for said arms andengageable with the first stretch thereof; and

means extending horizontally outwardly from the platform forsupportingly receiving the first stretches and restricting shiftingmovement of said stretches toward and away from said platform to asubstantially linear path.

2. A load-carrying and positioning head as set forth in claim 1, saidlocking device being carried by said outwardly extending means.

3. A load-carrying and positioning head for use with a lifting devicecomprising:

a platform for receiving said load;

a mount for said platform; and

a plate carried by said platform therebeneath, said plate having asubstantially spherical surface, the center of said surface being abovethe platform, said mount including a dished member carried by the mountand complementally receiving said plate, said plate and said dishedmember being shiftable with respect to each other.

4. A load-carrying and positioning head for use with a lifting devicecomprising:

a platform for receiving said load;

a mount for said platform;

a plate carried by said platform therebeneath, said plate having asubstantially spherical surface, said mount including a dished membercarried by the mount and complementally receiving said plate, said plateand said dished member being shiftable with respect to each other; and

means for shifting said plate with respect to said dished member, saidmeans including a shaft coupled with said plate, rotation of said shaftcausing said platform to tilt from side to side with respect to saiddevice.

1. A load-carrying and positioning head comprising: a platform forreceiving said load; a plurality of arms shiftably carried by saidplatform, said arms each having a first stretch in the same plane assaid platform and a second stretch in a laterally extending plane; meansfor locking said arms in a selected position with respect to saidplatform, said means including a locking device for said arms andengageable with the first stretch thereof; and means extendinghorizontally outwardly from the platform for supportingly receiving thefirst stretches and restricting shifting movement of said stretchestoward and away from said platform to a substantially linear path.
 2. Aload-carrying and positioning head as set forth in claim 1, said lockingdevice being carriEd by said outwardly extending means.
 3. Aload-carrying and positioning head for use with a lifting devicecomprising: a platform for receiving said load; a mount for saidplatform; and a plate carried by said platform therebeneath, said platehaving a substantially spherical surface, the center of said surfacebeing above the platform, said mount including a dished member carriedby the mount and complementally receiving said plate, said plate andsaid dished member being shiftable with respect to each other.
 4. Aload-carrying and positioning head for use with a lifting devicecomprising: a platform for receiving said load; a mount for saidplatform; a plate carried by said platform therebeneath, said platehaving a substantially spherical surface, said mount including a dishedmember carried by the mount and complementally receiving said plate,said plate and said dished member being shiftable with respect to eachother; and means for shifting said plate with respect to said dishedmember, said means including a shaft coupled with said plate, rotationof said shaft causing said platform to tilt from side to side withrespect to said device.